The invention relates to the field of digital video image processing. It relates to an image-processing method and device for instant replay as described in the preamble of the corresponding independent claims.
In order to provide television broadcasters with instant replay capabilities, digital video servers have been developed. Such a server allows, for example, to record a number of simultaneously incoming video streams and to store them, and to output one or more video output streams consisting of one of the input streams, either live or processed. Processing may comprise the replay of a recorded video sequence, slow motion replay, still images, creating annotated or enhanced version of such sequences and images, etc. An important feature of such a video server is that it supports the production of such replays instantly; that is, within at most just a few seconds or minutes after an interesting situation has occurred. It is in this way that the term “instant” is to be understood throughout the following text.
Furthermore, systems exist for the offline analysis and creation of virtual views of 3D sports scenes, such as presented in WO 2007/140 638 A1. However, such a system is geared towards the generation of single virtual views. It is furthermore not suited for fast or instant generation of complete virtual video sequences.